New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-17
MUSIC.
coxcRRr oF THE sYMPHONY sOOTErE.

MU6IC.
CONCERT OF THE SYMPHONY SOCTErE
The last concert of the Symphony Society for this sea-
,on which took place at tho Metropolitan Opera House
ast night made interesting. not unquaneoiy oe-
kghtfu by the performance Of BeroTs Dramatic SYM
bhony Romeo and Juliet" composed, as the author was
psrefu to tell u.s. AFTER that s. according TO 5hAker
speazoS Tragedy" Tho work was not novelty oven IN
Its complete form MI Thomas brought forward eleven
years ago and In 1882 DR. Damr0sch conducted per-
Torrance OF IT, Nearly every seasonEncei 1t was intro
ducod to iu principal Instrumental portions. have
figured on local programmes; but to the majority tof
people its vocal parts tho instrumental Introduction the
musjo In which Jutifs funeral Is described and the
musical deneaton Of the In the tomb Of the Capu
lots. were practically new last night 1t was heard WIN
many marks Of appreciation. moreover, which would
have seemed more complimentary to the work. TO ME-
Walter Damrosch who. conducted the performance and
10 those who took part in IT, they had been less inds
criminatcly bestowed 1t Is difficult to look upon ap
pause intelligent expression OF aesthetic Judgment
when s given TO the good bad and indifferent features
of an evenings entertainment with equal beartiness as
the case last night
The dramatic symphony illustrates the finest and the
worst traits Of Berozs artisc character. The three
familiar instrumental movements are beautiful music
highly imaginative and highly expressive Nearly all the
rest the product Of erratc Ill balanced imagination
and undiscpined taste Its prologue contains some
accepted poecal II 1t could be dssociaed from some
Of It's textua sbsurtes and the remainder OF the work
Thore s6metbng admirable In the ingenuity with
Sas that o ss IT. Its purpose Beros said was
prepare mind Of the nearer for the dramatic scenes
saSs Of the gradual development Of the choral masses
s VOC abrupt 5 Ss & ean bad
instrument based the chief episodes Of shake
now s to crolss the formlessness and want Of style
ssse IN S ss s
numbers the funeral music and the conventional ana
% and Of to
spearc besides advancing redctio ad a6s,rm to the
S"r the st hs
consequential description Of Queen Nab to the I'M
s0y dssns WITH the sreas episodes Of Tho
ought be to speak nor would We refer
has escaped Criticism on % from sss
S Ss S s that Ss
could do with this marvellousy fansiful and beautiful
of %sS t. a. &
reminded him Of the sQueaAdng of an ILL., creased
But there is no time to discuss all the questions raised
by the symphony when features Of last nights perform
work there is no denying that it is to be given the
wishes Of the composer touching the method OF per
as circumstances will allow. This wac not done last
night The choral recitations Of the prologue were sung
Voces The plea this advance In the book OF words
because Of the large size Of the audience room The plea
does not SUFFICE for small choir would have been heard
the ohorisers in the body Of .the work Monages and
tapatcs destroyed, There similar ignoring
sang st the o5ors after the bali in audi
enee Beroz wanted this music sung behind t9e
situation but also TO gain the musical effect of voices
provided for in the music and which was lot brought
out last night notwithstanding the brave efort OF tne
of the tenor solos in the prologue to MT II Wilson.
bass singer and the OF the organ 10 buoy up ana
was slight More important was the violation of wise
prohibition which Berlioz made against the performance
nae To Ss Berioa has attached pro
gramme and note as follows
Romeo al he tomb of ae Cap,lcts
" nnvocation Juliets waking Delirium OF JOY de-
spar; last agonies aud death OF the two lovers.l
q NoTE-The public has no imagination therefore.
pieces which nre addressed solely the imagination have
case and think it should be omitted whenever this SYN
phony given before audience not having feeling for
spesrss tragedy Iim Goyrees aSnoeenI This implies
It's ouissou nnetynine times out Of hundred 1t pre-
immense difficulties OF execution. Con
sequeDty Juets funeral procession moment OF
silence should be observed then the Finale should be
The words which we have italicized for mys
bcS wa aHs sesn in this Country In them lies the
whole Significance Of the movement whose contents
Il the the SSa S se n
not with finale that pictures the deirinm OF JOY" and
the despair last agonies and death OF the two
lovers" Garrick was wont TO SHOW
them in the deno,ement with which he embeihsbed
Shakespeare. In this denouc,neti Juliet awose before
Romeo died and he carried her out Of the tomb In bis
arms Then they held impetusus converse In Language
written by Garrck. Next Romeo swOOned crying " o."
and J,Itt cried "And did wake for this =" Romeo
renee to fly with him and stabbed herself with
Romeos dagger 1t was for people who were
familiar with version OF the last OF all In the
melancholy history OF the immortal lovers OF Verona
that Beroz wrote the sixth part OF his work. and hs
prohibition had propriety on Its side.
For the OF Miss Marie Groebl. who sang the con
plcts Ia the prologue IN which Berlioz condescend
ingly patrOnizes Shakespeare. woids OF
appreciation are due. though coupled
with warning 10 beware OF the trcmolo which
she IA cultiyalng Mr. Wilson also did well Ia parts
though music OF Fiar Laue,ee is much too low for
his voice The orchestra played spiritedy under air.
Danroscns earnest gui lance aud the chorus sang
ceptably especially 10 the chorale IRON -" Die Mesier
singer" which preceded tho symphony"